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I have to be honest, the Metal Gear series has never held a position of tremendous value in my past. I played some of Sons of Liberty and Guns of the Patriots and neither grabbed me with their style of gameplay. That said, I was pretty caught up in the hype of MGS V so I took a chance on Ground Zeroes (not really a chance I guess considering it was free on Games with Gold), and found that I actually enjoyed myself pretty thoroughly. Since then, I have tried to catch up on all of the lore surrounding Big Boss and Solid Snake to ready myself for Kojima’s next masterpiece and I am delighted to see that the game has lived up to all of that aforementioned hype. Despite all the drama and fallout that has occurred between Konami and series creator Hideo Kojima, it is good to know that the series has been able to deliver one final piece of brilliance. Check out what the reviewers have to say below:

The Telegraph: MGSV is a tremendous piece of work and is one of the best anecdote generators I’ve ever played. Perhaps MGSV’s best quality is how in pulling gameplay to the foreground and letting much of the exposition remain optional, it opens it up to be enjoyed by people who have in the past been put off by its weirdness, serving as both the perfect entry point and a satisfying conclusion. MGSV takes the best of a great series and creates a series’ best in the process. (5/5)

Game Spot: There has never been a game in the series with such depth to its gameplay, or so much volume in content. The best elements from the past games are here, and the new open-world gameplay adds more to love on top. When it comes to storytelling, there has never been a Metal Gear game that’s so consistent in tone, daring in subject matter, and so captivating in presentation. The Phantom Pain may be a contender for one of the best action games ever made, but is undoubtedly the best Metal Gear game there is. (10/10)

Game Informer: Hideo Kojima’s original Metal Gear was a top-down, screen-by-screen stealth title. Compared to the massive and ambitious world of The Phantom Pain, it’s hard to believe both games are products of the same creative mind. A series can’t survive this long without evolving, and The Phantom Pain is a testament to the importance of taking risks. An open world, a customizable base, a variable mission structure – these are not traditional aspects of Metal Gear, but they are what makes The Phantom Pain such an exceptional game. The gameplay, storytelling, and protagonists in Metal Gear may shift with each new installment, but Kojima’s ability to surprise and enthrall gamers remains unchanged. (9.25/10)

Destructoid: Despite the fact that I hit a few snags along the way, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain feels like a simultaneous celebration of the series, and a decidedly new chapter. It’s equal parts tough and flashy, and it’s fitting that if this is Kojima’s last Metal Gear, he goes out on a high note. (9/10)